The United Nations Human Rights Committee directed the U.S. to address rampant discrimination against women in American law and society, including epidemic rates of violence against women and girls as well as violations of their sexual and reproductive rights. The committee specifically directed the U.S. government to recognize the fully ratified Equal Rights Amendment. The post United Nations Condemns U.S. Failure to Address Discrimination Against Women, Directs U.S. to Ratify ERA and CEDAW appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

Kriti Bharti founded her nonprofit, Saarthi Trust, in 2011 to fight child marriage and empower women and girls. Since then, she has helped legally annul 49 child marriages and prevented 1,700 more from being “solemnized” in ceremonial engagements. She has aided in the rehabilitation of 20,500 children and women, and has conducted orientation programs that resulted in 35,000 villagers taking oaths to resist child marriages. “One day,” she said, “we should be able to say, ‘Once upon a time, there was something called child marriage.’” (This article originally appears in the Fall 2023 issue of&nb ..read more

The world is letting girls fall behind at an alarming rate. This International Day of the Girl, the world must reassess its commitments to girls everywhere—for a flourishing world and, most importantly, for the individual health, rights and well-being of each girl, no matter what.  Girls will reach their fullest potential when global governments comprehensively prioritize their education, safety, health and autonomy. The post How the World Is Letting Girls Fall Behind appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

U.S. foreign policy prevents the protection of refugees, those in conflict zones, and those impacted by natural disasters. Yet the House Appropriations Committee has chosen to pass a budget that will defund the agencies and programs that are most prepared to expertly respond to the needs of girls and women on conflict zones. It is far past time that Congress passes the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act, which will repeal the Helms Amendment; and the Support UNFPA Funding Act, which would restore funding to UNFPA for the next five years. With the stroke of a pen, the Biden administration al ..read more

"One thing that we see now, even with all of the challenges of a totalitarian government and of the Taliban dictatorship, is that the people on the frontlines of this fight are the women of Afghanistan. It is incredible that they are coming into the streets to fight for fundamental freedoms. I think this is a big lesson for all of us, even for those in the United States and others in the international community, to see these women now." (This essay is part of Women's Rights and Backsliding Democracies project—a multimedia project made up of essays, video and podcast programming, presented ..read more

The year 2013 saw the worst accident in the history of the international garment industry: A clothing factory collapsed outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing at least 1,127 workers, mostly young women, and injuring another 2,500. "Ten years later, the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done to ensure decent conditions for Bangladesh’s more than four million garment workers." The post From the Ashes of Rana Plaza: ‘Consumers Want to Know How Their Clothes Are Made’ appeared firs ..read more

It'll only take us three more centuries to gain equality, because conservatives in the U.S., Iran and Afghanistan and elsewhere don't want equality at all. The last century has largely been a good one for women’s progress. But with every large step forward, we’ve seen backlash, and this is a global trend. The post Happy International Women’s Day? appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

On Dec. 12, the U.S. government launched its updated and long-awaited Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. On paper, the strategy looks great. But, as always, the questions we’re left with are: What does the U.S. government do with this document now? How is it implemented? Will funding increase and be sustained? As the halfway mark of this administration’s current term approaches, we need to ensure that words are backed up with action. The post New U.S. Global Gender-Based Violence Strategy Says All The Right Things—But Action Is Next appeared first on Ms. Magazin ..read more

The fight to end child marriage can no longer be confined to the shadows. The COVID-19 crisis, climate change and food insecurity have only compounded the problem. If we don't act fast, we leave millions of girls at risk. The post Ending Child Marriage: Restoring Choice Through Economic Security appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more

The nearly-two decades prior to the pandemic saw 82 million more girls in school, girls’ primary school enrollment up 65 percent, and a 25-percent increase in parity between girls and boys completing primary school. Among the pandemic’s worst legacies has been its ravaging blow to these decades of progress, with 20 million additional secondary school-age girls who may never return to school. The post How Do We Build a World Where Every Girl Can Thrive? appeared first on Ms. Magazine ..read more